Doorframe sander

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for use in sanding a conventional wooden door frame comprising a base member having three planar sections positioned in parallel, side-by-side relationship, the outer sections being coplanar and the middle section being recessed by the thickness of the doorstop portion of the doorframe, the width of the middle section being slightly greater than the width of the doorstop, the outer sections being equal in length, both ends of the middle section being recessed relative to the ends of the outer sections by an amount equal to the thickness of the doorstop, a pair of clamps connected to the back surface of each section, at opposite ends thereof, for securing the ends of strips of sandpaper which extend along the front surfaces of the sections; and a handle connected to the back surface of the middle section.

United States Patent 1191 Hodge 1 DOORFRAME SANDER [76] Inventor: Marvin S. Hodge, 421 N. Sunkist.

Anaheim. Calif. 92806 [22] Filed: Sept. 29. 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 293,454

[52] US. Cl. 51/392 [51] Int. Cl ..l B24d 15/00 [58] Field of Search 15/159. 160. 244, 224; 51/358. 363. 391-393 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 151.847 6/1874 Cochran 51/205 1.570.177 1/1926 Pointer 51/363 2.201.645 5/1941) Efner 51/392 3.583.111 6/1971 Volk 51/358 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 122.642 10/1927 Switzerland 51/391 June 4, 1974 Primary Examiner0thell M. Simpson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Philip M. I-Iinderstein [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for use in sanding a conventional wooden door frame comprising a base member having three planar sections positioned in parallel. side-by-side relationship. the outer sections being coplanar and the middle section being recessed by the thickness of the doorstop portion of the doorframe. the width of the middle section being slightly greater than the width of the doorstop, the outer sections being equal in length. both ends of the middle section being recessed relative to the ends of the outer sections by an amount equal to the thickness of the doorstop, a pair of clamps connected to the back surface of each section, at opposite ends thereof, for securing the ends of strips of sandpaper which extend along the from surfaces of the sections; and a handle connected to the back surface of the middle section.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVEN'liON 1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to a doorframe sander and, more particularly, to special purpose apparatus for simultaneously sanding the three surfaces of a conven tional wooden doorframe.

2. Description of the prior art I A conventional wooden doorframe, as used to support a swinging door, includes two doorjambs and a lintel or head portion. The doorjambs and the lintel both include a flat surface which extends perpendicular to the walls in which the door is to be mounted, from one wall to the other. In the case of plaster walls, the spacing between the outer surfaces of the walls and, accordingly, the width of the doorframe, is inches. in the case of a dry wall construction, this dimension is slightly smaller. In any event, positioned on all three surfaces of the doorframe is a slamming stile or doorstop, an elongated strip of wood which is approximately 1 /4 inches wide by 1 1/32 inches deep. The doorstop is positioned approximately 1% inches from the side of the doorframe which has the door connected thereto. The 1% inch dimension corresponds to the standard width of a door. Therefore, when the door is closed, the two sides of the door and the top thereof are adapted to rest against the doorstop. The door hinge is connectedto one edge of the door and the narrow side of the doorjamb.

When a doorframe is installed in a new house, the assembly is performed by the carpenters. After assembly is completed, it is the function of the painter to sand the doorjambs and lintel including the doorstop, prior to painting thereof. However, because of the threesurface configuration of the doorjamb and lintel, this is a time consuming job. In the first instance, the painter must sand each of the three surfaces separately. Se-. condly, the painter must'have at least two sandpaper blocks. He must have a narrow sandpaper block, no more than 1% inches wide, to sand the narrow side of the doorjamb, since any wider block would not fit between the doorstop and the door hinge. While this sandpaper block maybe used to sand the doorstop,

I of the doorstop the outer sections being equal in length,

which is slightly narrower, it cannot be used to sand the wide side of the doorjamb and lintel which is substantially larger. As a result, the painter must have at least two sandpaper blocks and must sand all three surfaces separately.

SUMMARY OF- THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for use in sanding aconventional doorframe which solves these problems. The present sander is specifically designed to sand all three surfaces of a doorjamb and lintel simultaneously. As a result, the painter needs to carry but a single sander and may reduce the total time for performing the sanding operation to one third that previously required.

Briefly, the present apparatus for sanding a conventional wooden doorframe comprises a base member having three planar sections positioned in parallel, sideby-side relationship, the outer sections being coplanar and the middle section being recessed by the thickness of the doorstop portion of the doorframe, the width of the middle section being slightly greater than the width both ends of the middle section being recessed relative to the ends of the outer sections by an amount equal to the thickness of the doorstop; a pair of clamps con nected to the back surface of each section, at opposite ends thereof, for securing the ends of strips of sandpaper which extend along the front surfaces of the sections; and a handle connected to the back surface of the middle section.

it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a doorframe sander.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide special purpose apparatus for use in simultaneously sanding the three surfaces of a conventional wooden doorframe.

it is a still further object of the present invention to substantially reduce the time required for sanding a conventional wooden doorframe.

Still other objects,-features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts in the several figures and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present doorframe sander shown in operative position relative to a conventional doorjamb and lintel, both including a doorstop;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the doorframe sander of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2-2 thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT shown) is to be mounted, surface 13 extending from one wall 14 to the other wall 16. A molding 15 is also usually positioned around the edge of doorframe it).

In the case of plaster walls, the spacing between the outer surfaces of walls 14 and 16 and, accordingly, the width of surface 13 of doorframe i0, is approximately 5% inches. In the case of a dry wall construction, this dimension is slightly smaller. In any event, positioned on surface 13 of doorjamb 11 and lintel 12 is a slammingstile or doorstop l7. Doorstop 17 is an elongated strip of wood having a nominal width of 1% inches and a thickness of 1 1/32 inches. Assuming that the door is to be positioned so that one surface thereof is coplanar with wall 14, doorstop I7 is positioned on surface 13 of doorframe l0 sothat it is spaced from wall 14 by an amount equal to the width of a standard door. Since doors are generally l% inches wide, one edgeof doorstop 17 is positioned 1% inches from wall 14.

a wide side 19. As stated previously, the width of doorstep 17 is 1% inches and the thickness is 11/32. The width of narrow side id of doorjamb ii and Iintel H2 is 1% inches. In the case of plaster walls, the remaining width of wide side 19 of doerjamb ill and lintel 12 is 2% inches. In the case of dry wall construction, the width of surface it?) is slightly smaller. However, doorstop 17 and narrow side 18 remain identical in width and only wide side 29 of frame M1) is narrower.

A hinge 2i is adapted to be connected to narrow side B8 of deorjamb lit. The other half (not shown) of hinge 20 is adapted to be connected to the edge of a door. Therefore, when the door is closed, the face thereof along the sides and top is adapted to rest against doorstep 117.

When doerframe lid is installed in a new house, it is necessary to sand doorjamb ill and lintel 12 prior to the painting thereof. Such sanding must include narrow and wide sides 18 and 19, respectively, of surface 13 and doorstep 17. This may readily be achieved with the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown a doorframe sander, generally designated 25, constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. More specifically, deorframe sander includes a unitary base member 26 divided into three elongated, planar sections 27, 28, and 29. Sections 27-29 are positioned in parallel, side-by-side relationship, with sec tion 28 positioned inbetween sections 27 and 29. As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, the front surfaces 27 and 29 of sections 27 and 29, respectively, are coplanar. Front surface 28' of section 28 is recessed relative to surfaces 27' and 29 by an amount equal to the thickness of doorstep l7, namely 1 1/32 inch. The width of section 23 and, therefore, the spacing between sections 27 and 29, is slightly greater than the width of doorstep l7, namely 1% inches. The width of section 27 is approximately equal to the width of narrow side 18 of doerjamb ill and lintel l2, namely 1% inches. The width of section 29 is approximately equal to or greater than the largest-occurring width of wide side 19 of deerjamb ii and lintel l2, namely 2% inches. The reason forthese dimensions will appear more fully hereinafter.

Sections 27, 28, and 29 of base member as may have any desired length. Nine inches has been found convenient as a total length for base member 26. However, and as shown most clearly in FlGS. l and 3, section 28 is not as long as sections 27 and 29., which are equal in length. More specifically, both ends of section 28 are recessed relative to the ends of sections 27 and 29 by an amount equal to the thickness of doorstep I7, namely 11/32 inches. The reason for this will appear more fully hereinafter.

'Doorframe sander 25 further comprises a plurality of identical clamps, generally designated 30, connected to the back surfaces 27", 28' ,and 29" of sections 27, 28, and 29, respectively. As shown most clearly in FIG. 1, a pair of clamps is connected to the back surface of each of sections 2729, at opposite ends thereof, clamps 3% being operative to secure the ends of strips of sandpaper 40 to sander 25 Each of clamps 30 may include a flathead bolt 3i which extends through a hole 32 in base member 26. By making the thickness of the head of bolt 31 equal to the thickness of base member 26 and by configuring hole 32 so that it is identical to the head of bolt 3]., bolts 31 may be positioned so that the heads thereof are coplanar with surfaces 27, 23, and 2%. Bolts 31 may be secured in holes 32 by conventional nuts 33.

Each of clamps 30 further includes a substantially U- shaped clamping member 34, the length of the different clamping members 3 3 being the same as the width of the section on which it is to be used. Each of clamping members 34, has a hole 35 in the center thereof through which extends bolts 31.. Finally, wing nuts 36 may be utilized to secure clamping members 3 5 to the back surfaces of base member 26.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, doorframe sander 25 includes first, second, and third rubber pads 37, 3S, and 39 which are rigidly connected to front surfaces 27', 28', and 29, respectively, of sections 27, 28, and 29, respectively. Pads 37, 38, and 39 are equal in thickness but have lengths and widths which correspond to the lengths and widths of sections 27, 28, and 29, respectively.

Finally, doorframe sander 25 includes a handle 35 which is adapted to be connected to the back surface of base member 26, preferably to back surface 28" of section 28.. Handle 45 may be secured to section 28 of base member 26 by passing a pair of screws through section 28 into the ends of handle 45.

in operation, doorframesander 25 is adapted to simuitaneously sand the three surfaces 17, i8, and 19 of a conventional wooden doorframe 10. Prior to the sanding operation, three strips of sandpaper 40 are adapted to be secured to the outer surfaces of pads 37-39. This may be achieved by loosening wing nuts 36, extending a strip of sandpaper along and around pads 37-39, and positioning the ends of the strips of sandpaper M) between back surfaces 27", 28", and 29 and clamping members 34. Thereafter, by tightening wing nuts 36, the strips of sandpaper 4-0 are locked in place.

Thereafter, doorframe sander 25 is adapted to be positioned as shown in FIG. 11 with the strip of sandpaper 49 attached to section 27 in contact with narrow side 18 of doorframe It), with the strip of sandpaper 40 attached to section 28 in contact with doorstep i7, and with the strip of sandpaper 40 attached to section 29 in contact with wide side 19 of doorframe 110. Since the width of section 28 and, therefore, the spacing between sections 27 and 29 is slightly greater than the width of doorstep l7, pads 37 and 39 straddle doorstep l7, permitting the strip of sandpaper 40 attached to section 25 to contact doorstep 17. Furthermore, since surface 28' is recessed relative to surfaces 27 and 29'- by an amount equal to the thickness of doorstep 17, all three strips of sandpaper 40 simultaneously contact the surfaces therebelow. In addition, since the width'of section 27 is equal to the width of narrow side 18 of doerframe it), sander 25 may be manipulated vertically without section 27 interfering with hinge 20.

Where wall M is a plaster wall, the width of section 29 will be approximately equal to the width of wide side 119 of doorframe It). In the case of a dry wall construction, where wide side 19 of doorframe 10 is narrower, the outer end of section 29 will extend beyond the end of side 19. However, since there are no structures such ashinge 20 connected to this side of frame 10, this overlapping is of no consequence.

In operation, the simple movement of doerframe sander 25 in a back and forth motion, with the strips of sandpaper 40 in contact with sides 18 and 19 of doorframe and doorstop l7, permits the simultaneous sanding of all three surfaces. Doorframe sander is adapted to sand both doorjamb 11 as well as lintel R2.

. and lintel 12. More specifically, the doorstop i7 attached to doorjamb ii is not as long as surface i3. This is because the doorstop 17 connected to doorjamb' ii meets the doorstop 17 connected to lintel 12 at a point spaced from surface 13 of lintel 12 by the thickness of doorstop 17. However, since the ends of section 28 are recessed relative to the ends of sections 27 and 29 by an amount equal to the thickness of doorstop 17, sections 2'7 and 29 are permitted to contact the full length of surface 13. t

it can therefore be seen that in accordance with the present invention, there is provided apparatus foruse in sanding a conventional doorframe 110 which solves the problems present in the prior art. Sander 25 is specifically designed to sand all three surfaces of doorjamb 11 and lintel 12 simultaneously. As a result, a painter needs to carry but a single sander and may reduce the total time for performing the sanding operation to one third that previously required.

While the invention has been described with respect to the preferred physical embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrative embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for sanding a doorframe comprising:

a base member having first, second, and third elongate, planar sections positioned in parallel, side-byside relationship, the front surfaces of said first and third sections being coplanar and positioned on opposite sides of said second section, the front surface of said second section being recessed relative to those of said first and third sections, said first and third sections being equal in length, both ends of said second section being recessed relative to the ends of said first and third sections;

means connected to said base member for attaching a strip of sandpaper to said front surfaces of 'said first, second, and third sections; and

a handle connected to the back surface of said base member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 for sanding a conventional Wooden doorframe including two doorjambs and a lintel, each supporting a slamming stile or doorstop, wherein the width of said first section is approximately equal to the width of the standard, narrow side of said doorjamb and wherein the width of said third section is approximately equal to or greater than the largest-occurring width of the standard, wide side of said doorjamb.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the width of said first section is approximately 1% inches, wherein the width of said second section is approximately 1% inches, and wherein the width of said third section is approximately 2% inches.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second section is recessed by 1 1/32 inch relative to said first and third sections.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the length of said second section is 22/32 inch shorter than the length of said first and third sections.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 for sanding a conventional wooden doorframe including two doorjambs and a lintel, each supporting a slamming stile or doorstop, wherein both ends of said second section are recessed relative to said ends of said first and third'sections by an amount equal to the thickness of said doorstop.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprismg:

first, second, and third rubber pads rigidly connected to the front surfaces of said first, second, and third planar sections, respectively, said pads having equal thicknesses.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for attaching a strip of sandpaper to said first, second, and third sections comprises:

a pair of clamps connected to the back surfaces of each of said sections, at opposite ends thereof, for separately securing the opposite ends of first, second, and third strips of sandpaper to said first, second, and third sections, said strips of sandpaper extending along the front surfaces of said sections.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 for sanding a conventional wooden doorframe including two doorjambs and a lintel, each supporting a slamming stile or doorstop, wherein said front surface of said second section is recessed relative to those of said first and third sections by an amount equal to the thickness of said doorstop.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the width of said second section is approximately equal to the width of said doorstop.

11-. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein both ends of said second section are recessed relative to said ends of said first and third sections by an amount equal to said thickness of said doorstop. 

1. Apparatus for sanding a doorframe comprising: a base member having first, second, and third elongate, planar sections positioned in parallel, side-by-side relationship, the front surfaces of said first and third sections being coplanar and positioned on opposite sides of said second section, the front surface of said second section being recessed relative to those of said first and third sections, said first and third sections being equal in length, both ends of said second section being recessed relative to the ends of said first and third sections; means connected to said base member for attaching a strip of sandpaper to said front surfaces of said first, second, and third sections; and a handle connected to the back surface of said base member.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 for sanding a conventional wooden doorframe including two doorjambs and a lintel, each supporting a slamming stile or doorstop, wherein the width of said first section is approximately equal to the width of the standard, narrow side of said doorjamb and wherein the width of said third section is approximately equal to or greater than the largest-occurring width of the standard, wide side of said doorjamb.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the width of said first section is approximately 1 3/8 inches, wherein the width of said second section is approximately 1 1/4 inches, and wherein the width of said third section is approximately 2 3/4 inches.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second section is recessed by 11/32 inch relative to said first and third sections.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the length of said second section is 22/32 inch shorter than the length of said first and third sections.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 for sanding a conventional wooden doorframe including two doorjambs and a lintel, each supporting a slamming stile or doorstop, wherein both ends of said second section are recessed relative to said ends of said first and third sections by an amount equal to the thickness of said doorstop.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: first, second, and third rubber pads rigidly connected to the front surfaces of said first, second, and third planar sections, respectively, said pads having equal thicknesses.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for attaching a strip of sandpaper to said first, second, and third sections comprises: a pair of clamps connected to the back surfaces of each of said sections, at opposite ends thereof, for separately securing the opposite ends of first, second, and third strips of sandpaper to said first, second, and third sections, said strips of sandpaper extending along the front surfaces of said sections.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 for sanding a conventional wooden doorframe including two doorjambs and a lintel, each supporting a slamming stile or doorstop, wherein said front surface of said second section is recessed relative to those of said first and third sections by an amount equal to the thickness of said doorstop.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the width of said second section is approximately equal to the width of said doorstop.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein both ends of said second section are recessed relative to said ends of said first and third sections by an amount equal to said thickness of said doorstop. 